Terrell Davis ran into big trouble, found the light

2017 Hall of Fame Enshrinement: Terrell Davis recalls the death of his father leading to a wrong turn that left him staring down the barrel of a gun.

Steve Doerschuk CantonRep.com sports writer @sdoerschukREP

CANTON Night had fallen on Canton by the time Terrell Davis got his turn to speak.

As a stream of headlights rolled by on I-77, the former Denver running back talked about the darkest days of his life.

He was in sixth grade, and his father had just died.

"I found myself staring down the barrel of a gun," Davis said. "I thank God someone talked the guy out of pulling the trigger. It was in that moment I discovered my ability to hear God's voice."

Davis went on to become arguably the greatest postseason running back in NFL history.

He averaged 142.5 rushing yards in eight postseason games. One perspective: Legendary Jim Brown, who was in the house for the enshrinement, averaged 104.3 yards in his 118 career regular-season games with Cleveland.

During the three seasons (1996-98) that carried him to the Hall of Fame, Davis averaged 112.7 rushing yards a game. Injuries cut short his career.

"In his first four years in the NFL, other than Jim Brown, there's no one comparable," said Davis' agent and presenter, Neil Schwartz.

Davis nodded to Schwartz, and said, "I think back to 1994, when I was still a student at Georgia. We sat in a New York diner just talking about life, family and everything in between.

"You said, 'TD, I want you to promise me one thing, when you make it to the Hall of Fame, I want to be your presenter.'

"Well, Neil, I thought you were crazy, but here we are. … This is surreal."

Davis recalled being a million miles from Canton, a college player whose team, Long Beach State, canceled football.

He was still a moon shot from a bronze bust when, after transferring to Georgia, he lasted until the sixth round of of the 1995 draft.

He ran through a wall in Super Bowl XXXII, earning game MVP honors as the Broncos outlasted Brett Favre's Packers 31-24.

Davis grew sentimental when he looked into the audience and looked at his wife, Tamiko.

"I told you on our first date I was going to marry you," he said. "Nineteen years and three children later, I've come to recognize you are my soul mate."

Then he turned to his mother, who raised Terrell and five siblings under trying conditions, and, as she beamed, said, "Mom, you are my hero. Never once did I hear you complain.

"Pops taught us toughness and courage. Mom taught us love and compassion."

His mom, Kateree Davis, looked like the happiest woman in Canton, Ohio, as she looked back.

Reach Steve at 330-580-8347 or

steve.doerschuk@cantonrep.com

On Twitter: @sdoerschukREP

INSIDE THE SPEECH

Laughs

Davis almost walked out of Broncos rookie camp, assuming he had no chance of making the Broncos roster. "Twenty-two years ago today, I walked out on that field and made a special teams play with a belly full of hots dogs," he said. He downed the dogs because he didn't think he would play. A monster hit reversed his trajectory.

Tears

Davis was 12 when his father died. "It was the greatest pain I ever experienced," he said. "When he died, a part of me died. I was a child in crisis. My daily ritual became getting in trouble."

Crowd

Davis gave Georgia a shout out when he yelled, "How 'bout those Dawgs?" A pack of supporters from Georgia began a group woof worthy of the Dawg Pound.

Length

26:33

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